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New Enshrinement Criteria To Be Implemented For International Motorsports Hall Of Fame For 2015, Beyond

TALLADEGA, AL – The International Motorsports Hall of Fame, adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway, will establish a new process for enshrinement beginning in 2015.

There will not be an International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year, as a result of no individual receiving the required 51 percent of the vote from the 120-person voting panel. The annual event was tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 1, as a kickoff to the Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

“The process of election into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame has served the institution and public well for many years,” said Senator Gerald Dial, Chairman of the Board for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. “We want to make sure we are consistently honoring those deserving individuals on a yearly basis, so we are looking to create new and better procedures for induction and implement them for 2015. Once the Board of Directors of the Hall has approved and finalized the future process, we will make our members, as well as the public, aware of the changes.”

In early November last year, the Hall announced its second ballot with 22 finalists for the 2014 induction class. The percentage of votes cast for any of the finalists, however, from the panel which consists of media members as well as current International Motorsports Hall of Famers, didn’t meet the requirement for new membership. The finalists included: Michael Andretti, Raymond Beadle, Keith Black, Harold Brasington, Clint Brawner, Joie Chitwood, Harvey Firestone, Tommy Hinnershitz, David Hobbs, Ted Horn, Connie Kalitta, Joe Leonard, Roger McCluskey, Tom “Mongoose” McEwen, Danny Ongais, Marvin Panch, Les Richter, Troy Ruttman and Sir Henry Segrave. All 22, plus others, will be on the 2015 list for possible induction.

Currently, to be eligible for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, an individual must be retired in his or her line of work in motorsports for at least five years. However, that person may still be active in the sport in a different capacity. The Hall is dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to motorsports, either as a driver, developer, engineer, promoter, etc. Opened in April of 1983, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of motorsports.